BBAU Launches ‘Jaiv Harit’, a Pre-Startup Venture for Vermicompost Sales under the Aegis of ‘Navakalpana’; Vice-Chancellor Prof. Raj Kumar Mittal Inaugurates the Initiative
Lucknow: The Department of Environmental Science at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, launched ‘Jaiv Harit’, a pre-startup venture focused on the sale of vermicompost. Initiated under the aegis of Navakalpana, BBAU, the initiative aims to promote entrepreneurship among students by converting organic waste into a useful and marketable product—vermicompost. The venture is being carried out under the mentorship of Dr. Jiwan Singh and Prof. Shikha. The Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Raj Kumar Mittal, inaugurated the venture and appreciated the efforts of the students. He encouraged them to pursue innovative ideas and develop entrepreneurial skills through practical and research-based activities.
The first batch of vermicompost under ‘Jaiv Harit’ was prepared using dry leaves and cattle manure collected from the university campus in Lucknow. A total of 2,000 kg of vermicompost was prepared, of which 300 kg was packaged for sale. During the event, 80 kg of the packaged vermicompost was successfully sold.
The initiative was brought to fruition by a team of students comprising Roshni Bajaj, Pooja Adwani, Deepika Mishra, Gaurav Singh Rautela, Aman, Naresh, and Harshika. The venture is being carried out under the mentorship of Dr. Jiwan Singh and Prof. Shikha. The Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Raj Kumar Mittal, inaugurated the venture and appreciated the students’ efforts. He encouraged them to work on innovative ideas and strengthen their entrepreneurial skills through practical, research-oriented activities.
The product ‘Jaiv Harit’ received an encouraging response from faculty members, students, and other members of the university community. Among the prominent purchasers, Prof. Sunita Mishra purchased 26 kg of vermicompost, while Prof. Shalini Agrawal purchased 10 kg. In addition, Prof. Shikha, Prof. Subhash Mishra, Prof. Naveen Kumar Arora, Dr. Monica Sharma, Prof. Madhulika Dube, and several other members of the university community also expressed interest in and purchased the product. Their participation reflected the positive reception of ‘Jaiv Harit’ and highlighted the commercial potential of organic manure produced on the university campus.
The launch of ‘Jaiv Harit’ marks a significant step towards establishing student-led ventures at BBAU. The initiative provided students with practical experience in product preparation, packaging, marketing, and customer engagement. It also highlighted the potential for commercial utilisation of organic waste generated on the university campus by converting it into useful manure. The encouragement received from the university administration and the enthusiastic response from the university community have laid a promising foundation for the future growth and development of this venture.
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